Winemaker Notes
The 2014 vintage reflects a wonderful, warm growing season in the Willamette Valley, producing Pinot Noir with well-balanced flavors. Opening with the floral perfume of rose pedals and an undertone of forest floor, the wine is full on the palate. Its bold black cherry, currant and vanilla provide textured layers of flavors and a lingering finish. Aged for 15 months in French oak barrels, this hand-crafted Pinot pairs well with grilled meats, salmon and vegetables.
Home of some of the planet’s most amazingly elegant and expressive Pinot noir, the Willamette Valley is a pastoral, mixed landscape of green, bucolic rolling hills, dramatic forestlands and small, independent, friendly wine growers. As a leader in environmental stewardship, the valley has some of the nation’s most protective land use policies, with two-thirds of its vineyards farmed sustainably and over half, organically. While the valley claims a cool, continental climate, and is heavily influenced by the cold, moist winds of the Pacific Ocean, its warm and dry summers allow for the steady, even ripening of Pinot noir.
The potential of Willamette Valley Pinot noir continues to attract the investment of serious growers and winemakers both locally and from abroad, as naturally the finished wines bring accolades from professionals and enthusiasts. With a range of styles from delicate dried cherry, raspberry and hibiscus to stronger notes of truffle, mocha, plum and spice, a fine Willamette Valley Pinot noir is a perfect expression of both character and grace.